CMMC Practice SI.L2-3.14.3 – Security Alerts & Advisories: Monitor system security alerts and advisories and take action in response.
Links to Publicly Available Resources
This document provides assessment guidance for conducting Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) assessments for Level 2. Common Vulnerabilities Exposure is a list of entries - each containing an identification number, a description, and at least one public reference - for publicly known cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) alerts provide timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits. This is the Microsoft security update guide, which is posted regularly to address security vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft products and services The NVD is the U.S. government repository of standards based vulnerability management data represented using the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP). This data enables automation of vulnerability management, security measurement, and compliance. The NVD includes databases of security checklist references, security-related software flaws, misconfigurations, product names, and impact metrics. This is the RedHat product security center, where advisories and updates for RedHat Linux are posted
Discussion [NIST SP 800-171 R2]
There are many publicly available sources of system security alerts and advisories. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) generates security alerts and advisories to maintain situational awareness across the federal government and in nonfederal organizations. Software vendors, subscription services, and relevant industry information sharing and analysis centers (ISACs) may also provide security alerts and advisories. Examples of response actions include notifying relevant external organizations, for example, external mission/business partners, supply chain partners, external service providers, and peer or supporting organizations.
NIST SP 800-161 provides guidance on supply chain risk management.
Further Discussion
Solicit and receive security alerts, advisories, and directives from reputable external organizations. Identify sources relevant to the industry and technology used by your company. Methods to receive alerts and advisories may include:
- signing up for email distributions;
- subscribing to RSS feeds; and
- attending meetings.
Review alerts and advisories for applicability as they are received. The frequency of the reviews should be based on the frequency of the alerts and advisories to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.
External alerts and advisories may prompt you to generate internal security alerts, advisories, or directives, and share these with all personnel with a need-to-know. The individuals should assess the risk related to a given alert and act to respond as appropriate. Sometimes it may require a configuration update. Other times, the information may also require adjusting system architecture in order to thwart a threat described in an advisory.